Food safety, infection control to boost US demand for industrial and institutional cleaning chemicals

In the wake of widespread reports abouttainted food supplies and ongoingconcerns about disease transmission,demand for industrial and institutional(I&I) cleaning chemicals in the US isprojected to grow to nearly $10 billion in2012. Market value gains will be boostedby the increasing presence of environmentallycompatible formulations andbetter performing, multifunctionalcleaners offering sanitizing and otherbenefits. However, volume gains will berestrained by a greater use of concentratedcleaners, lower usage rates for suchhigh volume raw materials as causticsoda, soda ash and commodity solvents,and multifunctional chemicals that canfully or partially replace other products.

Many of the major outlets for I&Icleaning chemicals — food and beverageprocessing plants, foodservice outlets andretail stores — handle significant amountsof food, and must be acutely aware offood safety. Illnesses attributed to freshproduce — green onions, chili peppers,spinach, tomatoes — and the commercialdisruptions they have caused (includingthe demise of a major restaurant chain)have heightened awareness of properfood handling techniques, including theuse of effective general purpose cleaners,formulated disinfectants and dishwashingdetergents. In addition, recurrent problemswith E. coli and other pathogens inground beef and other meat products willcontinue to boost demand for cleaningproducts.

General purpose, floor care products will lead market; disinfectants to register most rapid growth

General purpose cleaners and floor careproducts will remain the largest productcategories, combining to account forabout 40 percent of overall demand.However, demand for these products willbe restrained by market maturity andintense competition for market share in acrowded field of firms. Nevertheless,favorable growth opportunities exist formultifunctional general purpose cleaningproducts with greater convenience anduser safety.

Disinfectants and sanitizers will recordthe most rapid growth, with gains wellabove average. Growth will be driven byconcerns about the spread of infectiousdiseases and the risks associated withfoodborne pathogens. These same trendswill also promote gains for hand cleansers,which are increasingly formulatedwith antibacterial agents such as ethanol,isopropanol or triclosan, despite scientificfindings suggesting that antibacterialcleaning products do not offer greaterprotection from microbial threats thanconventional products.